Asian Weightlifting Championship: Nooh finishes 12th in Rio qualifiers

PWF to find about his Olympic qualification status next week

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Nooh Dastgir Butt finished 12th at the Asian Weightlifting Championship +105kg events in Tashkent; however, the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) believes the 18-year-old still has a chance of qualifying for the Rio Olympics.

“He still has a chance to qualify for the Olympics,” PWF Vice President Rashed Malik told The Express Tribune. “Nooh is still among the favourites because he has been consistent in his record. He can still get a place in Olympics on the continental quota.”

Malik further revealed that the will find out about whether the youngster has qualified for the Olympics by next week when the Asian Weightlifting Committee finalises the candidates.



Nooh managed to lift 157kg in snatch and 200kg in the clean and jerk event also ensuring that he maintains his record of lifting 357kg — the same weight he lifted at the Commonwealth Youth Championship, Commonwealth Juniors Championship and the Commonwealth Championship last year.

Nooh was the youngest athlete in Group A, which had top weightlifters from the region.



Malik further added that the PWF was expecting a quality performance from Nooh, and are satisfied with his performances. “Most of the weightlifters are more experienced than Nooh; they are older too,” said Malik. “This is just the beginning for the 18-year-old so we are happy for him. Although he should’ve lifted 161kg in snatch and 206kg in the clean and jerk events, he still did great.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2016.

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